Apparatus for feeding paper booklets and the like

ABSTRACT

Apparatus for transporting strips of material comprises longitudinal side frame members, a transporting assembly connected between the side frame members for forwardly transporting paper strips between the frame members and longitudinally therewith, and assemblies for aligning the strips transverse to and laterally with respect to the side frame members.

[ 1 Mar. 21, 1972 United States Patent Schultz mmnm N Z M .wum mmk ack aX.l BARWW 26750 56666 99999 HHHHH 730030 1. 2 2002 23642 33 ,6 4 5 5 04375 ,33 23332 Primary Examiner-Joseph Wegbreit Assistant Examiner-Bruce H. Stoner, Jr. Attorney-Olson, Trexler, Wolters & Bushnell 0 7 9 l 3 0 2 M 4 8 J8 o N L P u FA UN 22 [57] ABSTRACT Apparatus for transporting strips of material comprises longitudinal side frame members, a transporting assembly connected between the side frame members for forwardly transporting paper strips between the frame members and longitu- ....27l/48, 271/58 .....B65h 9/04, B65h 9/10 49, 58, 59, 75, 45, 271/50, 47, 57, 60

References Cited dmally therewith, and assemblies for aligning the strips trans- UNITED STATES PATENTS verse to and laterally with respect to the side frame members.

2,840,373 Socke..,......r............................271/48 8Claims,6DrawingFigures Patented March 21, 1972 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 IJMM/ My 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 1 mania? g l gfmfb jC lllfz fl @M Patenkd March 21, 1972 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Mazda/WM APPARATUS FOR FEEDING PAPER BOOKLETS AND THE LIKE SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention relates generally to the book binders art and more particularly to apparatus for delivering a plurality of paper booklets or the like to a cutting device.

DISTINCTION OVER THE PRIOR ART AND OBJECTS Small booklets, on the order of 2 /2 by 4 inches, for example, and containing four to ID pages are widely used in advertising and for providing various types of instructions. In order to achieve certain economies in production, the pages of these booklets are printed in repetitive blocks and these blocks are cut into strips. The strips are then assembled and bound and the resultant product cut into individual booklets. Sometimes, in the cutting operation, a section is trimmed out, for example, a color lead section between the booklets whereby to eliminate printing imperfections.

In the past this final cutting operation has been slow and expensive involving numerous hand operations. Specifically, the booklet strips have been piled and squared by hand and then cut a sufficient number of times to sever the individual booklets, each cutting operation requiring an additional squaring operation. The cut booklets are then pushed aside manually for banding and ultimate packaging. Guillotine cutters and bracket cutters have been used in this operation.

Accordingly, an important object of the present invention is to provide apparatus for transporting strips of booklet material which eliminates hand cutting and the numerous related handling operations.

A more general object of the invention is to provide new and improved apparatus for transporting strips of material.

Another object of the present invention is to provide apparatus for transporting strips of material in which the material is appropriately aligned with respect to a selected datum.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide apparatus for transporting strips of material in which the materia] is aligned transversely and laterally with respect to a selected datum.

These and other objects and features of the invention will become more apparent from a reading of the following descriptions.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is a perspective view of a feeder apparatus constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention shown in conjunction with a cutter device for cutting the strips of material;

FIG. 2 is a top view of the apparatus and cutting device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side view of the apparatus and cutting device, particularly displaying the auxiliary transportation assembly;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the auxiliary transportation assembly and the blade alignment assembly of the apparatus;

FIG. 5 is a bottom sectional view of the photocell arrangement used in the auxiliary transportation assembly; and,

FIG. 6 is a sectional side view of the auxiliary transportation assembly taken along the line 6-6 of FIG. 4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring now in detail to the drawings, specifically to FIG. 1, a feeding apparatus 10 has a pair of laterally spaced apart and longitudinally extending side frame members 12 which comprise a basic supporting structure and which establish a positional reference for the associate parts described hereinafter. A series of booklet strips 16, each of which is composed of a plurality of laterally spaced, interconnected, identical booklets, enters the apparatus 10 at entrance point 13 and is thereafter moved by a transporting assembly 14 in a forwardly direction, as indicated by the arrow 14a, longitudinal of and generally situated between side frame members 12, to an exit point 15. The booklet strips move from the right end of the apparatus to the left end as viewed in FIG. 1. As the booklet strips move forwardly between entrance and exit points 13 and 15 respectively, they are supplied with a secondary transportation force, for alignment transversely of the side frame member, by an auxiliary transportation assembly 18 connected between side frame members 12 below and cooperating with transportation assembly 14. A blade alignment assembly 20 connected between the side frame members 12, above transportation assembly 14 and cooperating with the auxiliary transportation assembly 18 aligns the booklet strips laterally with respect to the side: frame members 12 subsequent to their transverse alignment but prior to exiting at point 15. Upon leaving the feeding apparatus, the booklet strips, properly positioned, enter a cutting assembly 26 where the laterally spaced booklets of each strip 16 are severed and thereafter fed to an end table 28 where they are collected and stacked.

Referring to FIG. 3, the booklet strips 16 enter the cutting assembly 26 through and impressed against a pair of upper and lower longitudinal idler rollers 30 rotatably mounted to each side frame member 12 and extending transversely thereof. It is to be understood that each idler roller and driven shaft mentioned herein as being mounted to the side frame members, is mounted to the frame members by journals or other suitable means. Each of the rollers 30 is caused to rotate in an opposite direction by the forwardly moving booklet strips 16 so as to direct the latter through a pair of cutter blade assemblies 32 and 34 while the booklet strips maintain their aligned position. Each cutter blade assembly 34 and 36 respectively comprises a respective upper and lower driven shaft 36 and 38 which is rotatably mounted to frame members 12 forwardly of and parallel with rollers 30. A respective plurality of laterally spaced circular cutter blades 36a and 38a are rigidly mounted to driven shafts 36 and 38 respectively. The booklet strips 16, while forwardly traveling through the cutter blade assemblies are severed by cutter blades 36a and 38a, each cutter blade 36a being laterally aligned with and impressed against a cutter blade 38a. The cutter blades are caused to rotate along with their respective shafts by independent means discussed hereinafter. After being severed, the booklet strips are directed to table 28 through a pair of upper and lower longitudinal idler rollers 40 which are also rotatably mounted on side frame members 12 transversely thereto, the booklet strips causing rollers 40 to rotate in the same manner as rollers 30.

Returning now to FIG. 1 for a description of the transportation assembly 14, the booklet strips 16 are forwardly transported from entrance point 13 through and by a plurality of forwardly moving laterally spaced endless upper conveyor belts 42 and lower conveyor belts 44, each plurality of conveyor belts being threaded over and connected to a respective assembly of shafts and rollers discussed subsequently. Each conveyor belt 44 is laterally aligned with and impressed against a respective conveyor belt 42 so that the conveyor belts may securely carry the booklet strips as the belts move in the forward direction, thus causing the booklet strips, which are positioned in a horizontal plane between the conveyor belts 58 and 60, to so move, as seen in FIG. 3.

Each of the plurality of conveyor belts 42 is threaded over and connected to a laterally spaced roller 45 carried by an upper driven shaft 46 and a corresponding laterally spaced roller 48 carried by an upper driven shaft 50. The shafts 46 and 50, positioned adjacent entrance and exit points 13 and 15 respectively, are rotatably mounted on frame members 12, transversely thereof. A pair of lower driven shafts 52 and 54 carrying a plurality of laterally spaced rollers 56 and 58 respectively, are positioned below and parallel to shafts 46 and 50 respectively, and rotatably mounted to frame members 12. The conveyor belts 44 are threaded over and connected to rollers 56 and 58 so as to cooperate with belts 42 in order to transport booklet strips 16, as discussed above. The shafts 46, 50, 52, and 54 are driven through two cooperating gear members 60, each of which is located on the end of shafts 46 and 52 respectively, by means discussed below.

The conveyor belts 42 and 44 are driven by an electric motor 62 through a suitable power transmitting train. The motor 62 has an output shaft 64 which carries a drive pulley 66 which powers a pulley 68 through a belt 70. The pulley 68 is rigidly attached to the end of a shaft 72 which carries a worm 74 attached on its otherwise free end. The worm 74 cooperates with a worm wheel 76, rigidly attached to one end of driven shaft 38, for driving shaft 38 and a sprocket 78 which is rigidly attached to the otherwise free end of shaft 38. An endless chain 80, more readily seen in FIG. 2, cooperates with both the sprocket 78 and a sprocket 82, which is rigidly attached near the end of shaft 52just inside gear member 60, for driving shaft 52 and shaft 46 through gears 60. Each member of the power transmitting train either drives or is driven in a direction so as to ultimately drive the conveyor belts forward and thus booklet strips 16 in a forwardly direction from entrance point 13 to exit point 15.

Turning to FIG. 4, the auxiliary transportation assembly 18 includes at least two laterally spaced endless chains 84 and 86 each carrying three equally spaced pusher-dogs 87, each pusher-dog on one chain being aligned laterally with a pusherdog of the other chain. The chains are threaded around and connected to an assembly of shafts and sprockets, described hereinafter, and positioned directly below the conveyor belts 44, between frame members 12 so that a horizontal portion of the chains, as seen in FIG. 3, are parallel with a portion of conveyor belts 44. The chains are intermittently driven in a forward direction around the assembly of shafts by motor 62 through a magnetic clutch 89, described subsequently, when the clutch is energized, and at a speed 1% times faster than the belts 42 and 44. The pusher-dogs 87 project out a sufficient distance so as to enter a horizontal plane between conveyor belts 42 and 44 when the pusher-dogs are transported through the horizontal portion ofthe chains 84 and 86.

The assembly of shafts and sprockets for driving the chains 84 and 86 includes driven shafts 90 and 92 and an output drive shaft 88 of the magnetic clutch 89. Each driven shaft 90 and 92 is rotatably mounted on frame members 12 transverse thereof, and carries two laterally spaced sprocket members 94 and 96 respectively. The sprockets 94 are laterally aligned with sprockets 96 respectively. The shafts are positioned in a horizontal plane directly below conveyor belts 42 with shaft 92 positioned forwardly of shaft 90 so that the chains, which are connected to an aligned sprocket of each shaft, are driven parallel to and below conveyor belt 42, as discussed above. The output shaft 88, carrying two laterally spaced sprockets 98, each ofwhich is aligned with a corresponding sprocket 94 and a corresponding sprocket 96, is positioned below and rearwardly of shaft 90 and is mounted to frame members 12 transversely thereof. The chains 84 and 86 are threaded around and connected to an aligned sprocket of each shaft 88, 90, and 92 for movement around the shafts, as discussed above.

The chains 84 and 86 are forwardly driven by output shaft 88 which is connected to and driven by an input shaft 104 of the magnetic clutch 89 when the clutch is energized. The shaft 104 carries a rigidly mounted sprocket 106 at an end thereon which cooperates with previously mentioned chain 80 so that the sprocket 106 and shaft 104 are driven synchronously with conveyor belts 58 and 60. When the magnetic clutch 89 is deenergized the shafts 104 and 88 are disconnected and, while shaft 104 continues to rotate, it ceases to drive shaft 88 which therefore ceases to drive chains 84 and 86. When the clutch is energized the shafts 88 and 104 are again connected and the magnetic clutch causes the shaft 88 to be driven 1% times as fast as shaft 104.

A photocell arrangement 108 including a photocell 111 and light source 113, shown in FIG. 5, is mounted in an open bottom box 110 which is mounted on a carriage 112. The carriage 112 is adjustably mounted on a cylindrical shaft 114 by disc and screw assembly 116 for laterally adjusting the carriage with respect to frame members 12. The shaft 114 extends transversely, between frame members 12, connected thereto by means not shown, above conveyor belts 42 and directly over shaft as seen in FIG. 3.

As each booklet strip 16 travels forwardly through conveyor belts 42 and 44, the presence of a booklet strip at a predetermined position in the conveyor transit (over shaft 90) is sensed by the photoelectric cell 111 which is activated by light which is provided by the light source 113 and which is reflected off the booklet strip. The photoelectric cell while in its activating state continuously energizes the 1% revolution magnetic clutch 89. The clutch while in its energized state allows the pusher-dogs 87 to be driven in the forwardly direction, 1V2 times faster than conveyor belts 58 and 60 as stated above. The clutch remains so energized as long as the photocell is activated which is enough time to move a pair of pusher-dogs through the above state horizontal portion of chains 84 and 86.

Turning to FIG. 6, when one pair of laterally aligned pusherdogs 87 reaches a point, approximately above shaft 90, the pusher-dogs engage the back end of a booklet strip 16 and remain so engaged for as long as the dogs are positioned between shafts 90 and 92. Because they are traveling 1% times faster than the book strips, the pusher-dogs exert a secondary transportation force to the strips in the direction of transportation, forwardly displacing the strips with respect to the conveyor belts and thereby aligning them transversely with the frame members 12. It should be noted that ifa booklet strip is in a skewed position with respect to frame members 12, as seen in FIG. 2, at a point above shaft 90, only one of the pair of pusher-dogs initially will exert a force on the strip. However, as the strip is forwardly displaced the exerting pusherdog will forcibly position the strip so that both pusher-dogs are in contact therewith and the strip is in transverse alignment with the frame members 12. As a subsequent booklet strip reaches a position over shaft 90 and is sensed by photocell 111 the magnetic clutch is again energized for positioning a second pair of pusher-dogs, as described above. This operation continues as long as booklet strips are transported by the conveyor belts and are sensed by photocell 111.

The blade alignment assembly 20 including an alignment blade 118 having a laterally inward extremity 120, a laterally outward extremity 122 and an intermediate section 124 joining the extremities and 122, is adjustably mounted to the shaft 114 by appropriate disc and screw assembly 126. The blade alignment assembly is positioned adjacent one of the frame members 12 as seen in FIG. 2 and may be repositioned along shaft 114 to compensate for booklet strips of various sizes. As each strip 16 is forwardly displaced by pusher-dogs 87, as discussed above, an edge of the strip engages intermediate section 124 of the alignment blade 118 and remains so engaged so that the inward extremity forces the strip in a direction transverse to and away from adjacent frame member 12, for laterally aligning the strip with both side frame members.

Reference is made to FIG. 2 for summarizing the operation of feeder 10. A booklet strip 16, which initially is shown out of alignment both transverse to and laterally with frame members 12, is fed through conveyor belts 42 and 44 at point 13 and thereafter travels through the conveyor belts in a forward direction, longitudinally with side frame members 12. The booklet strip is sensed by the photocell arrangement 108 which energizes magnetic clutch 89 to drive laterally aligned pusher-dogs 87 so that at least one of the pusher-dogs is in contact with the back edge of the booklet strip. Because the pusher-dogs travel 1V2 times faster than the strips 16 initially, the pusher-dogs forwardly displace the strips and transversely align them with respect to the frame members 12. As the strips are forwardly displaced an edge thereof is forced into contact with the alignment blade 118 which forces the strips into lateral alignment with the frame members 12. Each strip thereafter enters the cutting machine in a predetermined position.

While a particular embodiment of the invention has been shown it should be understood, of course, that the invention is not limited thereto since many modifications may be made and it is therefore contemplated to cover by the appended claims any such modifications that fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

The invention is claimed as follows:

1. Apparatus for transporting strips of material comprising: longitudinally extending side frame members, a main transporting assembly mounted between said side frame members for forwardly transporting paper strips between said frame means and longitudinally therewith at a predetermined speed; and an auxiliary transporting assembly mounted between said frame members intermediate the forward and rearward ends thereof and cooperating with said transporting assembly for supplying a secondary transportation force at a differential speed to each of said strips in the direction of transportation whereby said strip is forwardly displaced on said main transporting assembly for alignment transversely with said frame member, said main transporting assembly including transporting means for transporting said strip and motor means operatively connected to said transporting means for continuously driving said transporting means, said transporting means including a plurality of laterally spaced endless upper conveyor belts and a plurality oflaterally spaced endless lower conveyor belts aligned individually beneath said upper conveyor belts in positions whereby said strips are transported between and by said upper and lower conveyor belts, said auxiliary assembly including secondary transporting means for applying said secondary transportation force, auxiliary drive means operatively connected to said secondary transporting means whereby said secondary transportation force is periodically applied to the strips, and a sensing arrangement operatively connected to said drive means for energization of said drive means when each of said strips reaches a predetermined point along said frame means whereby said secondary force is ap' plied to the paper strips at said predetermined point.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 including blade alignment means adjacent to and cooperating with said auxiliary assembly for aligning each of said strips laterally with said frame means.

3. Apparatus according to claim I, wherein the said upper and lower conveyor belts are disposed across the space between said frame members with the secondary transporting means having strip engaging projections in the lateral space between adjacent runs of said upper and lower conveyor belts for alignment ofthe strips.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said secondary transporting means includes a plurality of laterally spaced endless chains positioned between said frame members and longitudinally therewith and adjacent said transporting means, and a plurality of equally spaced pusher-dogs carried by each of said chains, each pusher-dog on one chain being aligned laterally with a pusher-dog of said other chains, whereby said secondary force is applied by a pusher-dog of each chain.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said auxiliary drive means includes a magnetic cllutch means operatively connected to said transporting assembly for intermittently driving said secondary transporting means at a higher rate of speed than said transporting assembly transports said paper strips whereby each of said paper strips is forwardly displaced on said transporting means.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said sensing arrangement includes a photoelectric cell and a light source adjustably mounted on said frame means whereby light from said light source is reflected off each of said paper strips when the paper strip reaches said predetermined point and said photocell is activated by the reflected light for energization of said auxiliary drive means.

7. Apparatus according to claim 6 including blade alignment means ad'acent to and cooperating with said auxiliary assembly for a igning each of said strips laterally with said frame means.

8. Apparatus according to claim 7 wherein said blade alignment means includes a blade assembly mounted on said frame and longitudinally therewith and means to laterally adjust said blade assembly with respect to said frame, said blade assembly including a laterally inward extremity. a laterally outward extremity and an intermediate section joining said extremities whereby an edge of said strips comes in contact with said blade assembly for lateral alignment of said strips with said frame means. 

1. Apparatus for transporting strips of material comprising: longitudinally extending side frame members, a main transporting assembly mounted between said side frame members for forwardly transporting paper strips between said frame means and longitudinally therewith at a predetermined speed; and an auxiliary transporting assembly mounted between said frame members intermediate the forward and rearward ends thereof and cooperating with said transporting assembly for supplying a secondary transportation force at a differential speed to each of said strips in the direction of transportation whereby said strip is forwardly displaced on said main transporting assembly for alignment transversely with said frame member, said main transporting assembly including transporting means for transporting said strip and motor means operatively connected to said transporting means for continuously driving said transporting means, said transporting means including a plurality of laterally spaced endless upper conveyor belts and a plurality of laterally spaced endless lower conveyor belts aligned individually beneath said upper conveyor belts in positions whereby said strips are transported between and by said upper and lower conveyor belts, said auxiliary assembly including secondary transporting means for applying said secondary transportation force, auxiliary drive means operatively connected to said secondary transporting means whereby said secondary transportation force is periodically applied to the strips, and a sensing arrangement operatively connected to said drive means for energization of said drive means when each of said strips reaches a predetermined point along said frame means whereby said secondary force is applied to the paper strips at said predetermined point.
 2. Apparatus according to claim 1 including blade alignment means adjacent to and cooperating with said auxiliary assembly for aligning each of said strips laterally with said frame means.
 3. Apparatus according to claiM 1, wherein the said upper and lower conveyor belts are disposed across the space between said frame members with the secondary transporting means having strip engaging projections in the lateral space between adjacent runs of said upper and lower conveyor belts for alignment of the strips.
 4. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said secondary transporting means includes a plurality of laterally spaced endless chains positioned between said frame members and longitudinally therewith and adjacent said transporting means, and a plurality of equally spaced pusher-dogs carried by each of said chains, each pusher-dog on one chain being aligned laterally with a pusher-dog of said other chains, whereby said secondary force is applied by a pusher-dog of each chain.
 5. Apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said auxiliary drive means includes a magnetic clutch means operatively connected to said transporting assembly for intermittently driving said secondary transporting means at a higher rate of speed than said transporting assembly transports said paper strips whereby each of said paper strips is forwardly displaced on said transporting means.
 6. Apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said sensing arrangement includes a photoelectric cell and a light source adjustably mounted on said frame means whereby light from said light source is reflected off each of said paper strips when the paper strip reaches said predetermined point and said photocell is activated by the reflected light for energization of said auxiliary drive means.
 7. Apparatus according to claim 6 including blade alignment means adjacent to and cooperating with said auxiliary assembly for aligning each of said strips laterally with said frame means.
 8. Apparatus according to claim 7 wherein said blade alignment means includes a blade assembly mounted on said frame and longitudinally therewith and means to laterally adjust said blade assembly with respect to said frame, said blade assembly including a laterally inward extremity, a laterally outward extremity and an intermediate section joining said extremities whereby an edge of said strips comes in contact with said blade assembly for lateral alignment of said strips with said frame means. 